Anne-Marie Sirois

A native of Saint-Basile (NB), Anne-Marie Sirois has been drawing since childhood. After studying visual arts at the Université de Moncton, she plunged into the great adventure of cartooning. Her cartooning credits include Maille Maille (1987), Animastress (1994), Joséphine (2000) and PSSST (2003). She is also an illustrator and author of four stories: Le Petit Chaperon Mauve (1995), Rose Neige et les six nains (2000), Ma Gribouille tigrée (2006) and Riette l'assiette (2014).

Anne-Marie is also a sculptor, with a particular fondness for the assemblage technique. Her book Pourquoi 100 fers/Ironic Irons, published in 2010, shows 118 amusing sculptures made by this artist using irons. Anne-Marie's artistic practice also includes several installations, including Rêve camouflé (2016), Logements pratiques et à bons comptes (2006), and Migration (2005).

Since the 1990s, Anne-Marie has designed props and puppets for film and theatre, including Pépins, un parcours de petites détresses (2020), Winslow (2019), Monsieur Crapaud (2016), Ali et la forêt (2014), Belle-Baie (2008), 1604 (2004), Kacho Komplo (2002), Le sourire du parcomètre (2001), and Algernon (1997).

Anne-Marie lives in Moncton and works from her studio at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre.

What led you to become an artist?

I didn't have to choose to be an artist. I was born with this taste and aptitude for the arts. I just followed my path and listened to my intuition.

What led you to make animated films?

I dreamt of seeing my drawings move and come to life. Ever since I was a child, I'd been drawn to cartoons and comic strips. By chance, when I was about 4 years old, I was leafing through a little children's missal in which the stages of the Mass were explained to the children and on each page, there was an illustration showing the priest doing the action corresponding to the part of the Mass, and I discovered how a flipbook works. It was fantastic! I went on to study visual arts at the Université de Moncton. After my studies, I took a course in animation at the Coop de film Cinémarévie in Edmundston. An animator from the National Film Board came from Montreal, and for a week he taught us the main principles of animated film. I think it was one of the best weeks of my life! As a group, we made a short film using the various animation techniques we had learned during the week.

How have your training and experiences helped you to create and innovate in your artistic practice?

Everything in life inspires me. You must listen to yourself and your environment. An art education opens the door to knowledge and puts you in touch with the other students around you. I find that you learn a lot more in a group. A good foundation in the arts gives us a solid foothold in the world of the arts.

What stimulates you most about your work?

What stimulates me most is always learning, exploring new subjects and techniques.

What drives your creativity?

Researching and experimenting stimulate me a lot. I think that learning new things every day is a successful day.

How has living and working in New Brunswick helped you and/or inspired your path?

I could have gone anywhere and worked in the arts. But being a francophone outside Quebec helped me to get a good education in animation. At the time, there was no animation school in New Brunswick. The National Film Board had a mandate to help Francophones in Canada's regions develop in the film industry. I obviously took advantage of this.

How does the process of creating a work unfold?

A work always starts with an idea. I make a sketch so that the idea doesn't get carried away. Then I look for the materials I need to make it. Sometimes I consult people about the best technique to use to bring my project to fruition. Then the production phase begins. I don't count the hours spent thinking about the creation. I plunge right in until the work is finished.

Why do you think it's important to make art and invest yourself in an artistic process?

I need to make art. It's a way of expressing myself, of saying who I am and what I feel. It's as vital as eating and drinking.

What have you learned about yourself and the New Brunswick arts community through your work?

There's a great artistic community in New Brunswick. These artists have very similar needs and it's always interesting to meet up and talk. We're part of a very vibrant community.

What impact do you think the work of artists has on communities and the province as a whole?

The artist shows others a different way of thinking, of seeing things from a new angle. They also raise awareness by showing that there is another way of doing things.

Describe what you are most proud of in your career.

What I'm most proud of is realizing my dream of making cartoons. This medium hardly existed in the province at the time. I've also been able to fulfil my potential as a visual artist. I never expected to write stories. I simply walked through the doors that were open to me.

What advice would you give to emerging artists?

My advice to emerging artists is to follow their instincts, listen to themselves and work hard.

Where can we see your work?